Category Archives: Integrative Medicine

More women are turning to medical cannabis to seek relief from menopause and perimenopause symptoms, research suggests.

For instance, a 2020 study shows that about 1 in 4 female veterans use cannabis to treat menopause symptoms.

And now, new research, recently published in the journal Menopause, suggests that the number of both menopausal and perimenopausal women using medical cannabis for symptom relief could be much higher.

This study suggests that medical cannabis use may be common in midlife women experiencing menopause-related symptoms, said Dr. Stephanie Faubion, medical director of the North American Menopause Society, in a press release.

Still, experts caution that the effects of cannabis on menopause symptoms like anxiety, depression, sleep, and pain have not yet been fully established.

Healthcare professionals should query their patients about the use of medical cannabis for menopause symptoms and provide evidence-based recommendations for symptom management, Faubion added.

The new study involved more than 250 perimenopausal and postmenopausal women who were recruited through targeted ads about womens health and cannabis use.

Over 83% of study participants said they regularly used cannabis to treat menopause-related symptoms, which was defined by researchers as at least once per month.

The study shows that cannabis was most commonly used to ameliorate sleep and mood or anxiety issues. The majority of participants (84%) said they smoked cannabis for symptom relief, with 78% of participants reporting the use of edibles.

Despite the seemingly positive findings, the study has a built-in bias since participants were recruited because of their interest in cannabis.

Theres no value in terms of its numbers or validity, Dr. Felice Gersh, an OB-GYN and founder of the Integrative Medical Group in Irvine, California, told Healthline.

But it does bring up the important subject about the suffering that women go through in menopause with no assistance from the medical establishment.

Gersh said that very few of her patients report using cannabis to treat menopause symptoms.

I call cannabis green medicine, Gersh said. This is a potential tool, but we have no data on efficacy or safety. It really is a medication that should be talked about with a physician, and patients should realize that there are more tested options, like hormone therapy.

According to Gersh, the new research has possibly overestimated the use of cannabis.

Still, a prior 2020 study suggests that 1 in 4 female veterans used cannabis to treat menopause. In fact, the researchers found that more women were using cannabis to treat menopause symptoms than were using hormone therapy or other traditional types of menopause symptom management.

This is disturbing because hormone therapy is the most effective therapy we have for menopause symptoms, and the benefits typically outweigh the risks for women in their 50s and within 10 years of menopause, Faubion told Healthline. Cannabis, on the other hand, is not a proven therapy for menopause.

Dr. Aaron Gelfand, an OB-GYN at ChoicePoint, an addiction treatment center in New Jersey, explained that numerous physiological systems are thought to be influenced by the endocannabinoid system, which is activated by plant-based cannabinoids like CBD and THC. These systems include:

According to Gelfand, cannabis is also used to help treat anxiety and depression, sleep, and even vaginal dryness among menopausal women.

The amygdala is responsible for emotions, behavior, and motivation, Gelfand told Healthline. During menopause, all of these are heightened. Upon taking cannabis in any form, the response is suppressed, causing less anxiety and depression.

Still, Gelfand said using cannabis to aid sleep may have mixed results in people experiencing menopause.

While THC usually has a sedative effect, it can also have a stimulating impact on certain users, particularly those who are new to [cannabis] use or who are taking greater amounts, he explained. In these circumstances, smoking [cannabis] before bed may make it harder to fall asleep.

Conversely, Gelfand said that at smaller doses, CBD seems to encourage alertness. At greater concentrations, however, CBD may induce sleepiness.

As for treating vaginal dryness, Gelfand pointed out that the use of CBD-containing products in the vaginal or vulvar tissues has not been supported by any well-controlled clinical research.

If Gersh were to recommend cannabis for menopause symptom relief, she said she prefers hemp-based products like CBD over products containing THC, the main psychoactive ingredient found in cannabis.

CBD and other cannabinoids like THC bind with receptors in the brain that are associated with memory, cognitive function, and pain.

Women who are going through menopause often find relief from common symptoms of menopause for exactly that reason, Mitchell H. Stern, president and CEO of California-based cannabis producer Burning Bush Nurseries told Healthline.

Some CBD brands have begun to cater to the unique needs of this emerging market by infusing their products with things like hibiscus, sage, and other natural herbs that have been helping menopausal women find relief for thousands of years, he added.

Experts have cautioned that the purported benefits of using cannabis to treat menopausal symptoms require further study.

While there has not been adequate research into the use of cannabis for menopausal symptoms, I would be reluctant to advise the use of cannabis with THC for this purpose, Dr. David Culpepper, clinical director of Telehealth company LifeMD, told Healthline.

In my experience, most of the anti-inflammatory and other health benefits patients receive from cannabis products come not from THC, but from CBD, which is a benign, non-psychoactive compound. Its possible that women using cannabis for menopause are reaping the benefits of the CBD, while unnecessarily intoxicating themselves with THC.

As with other experts, Culpepper recommended that people experiencing menopause try CBD to help relieve their symptoms instead of cannabis products containing THC.

The proliferation of medical cannabis in the United States has contributed to an increasing number of menopausal and perimenopausal women using the drug to treat their associated symptoms.

But some experts say these numbers may be overestimated, and caution that research on safety and effectiveness is still limited.

Until more rigorous research is conducted, experts recommend hormone therapy as a first-line treatment or may suggest trying CBD products as an alternative.

If you are experiencing symptoms associated with menopause or perimenopause, ask your doctor about the safest treatment options available to help you find relief.

See the original post here:
Cannabis Increasingly Used for Menopause Symptom Relief. Is It Safe? - Healthline

Some of Polites founders, left to right: Mary Brown Szomjassy, chief clinical officer; Yung Tan, CEO; Sue Tan, chief creative officer; Adam Melero, chief innovation officer; and Jeffrey Freeman Jr, chief growth officer. (Pax Bradford Photo)

The co-founders of Seattle-based cannabis and hemp product company Polite have multiple explanations for their startup name.

Its about self care that includes THC- and CBD-containing products that address specific health concerns. Its about replacing the naughty stereotype of marijuana with the nice alternative of their micro-dose products. It includes making science-backed claims about the tinctures, oral sprays, topical lotions and vaping devices that theyre selling.

The spirit of Polite is really about treating yourself well and treating others well, said Sue Tan, Polite co-founder and chief creative officer.

We use cannabis for mental, physical, [and] social health and when we feel better as people, she said, in turn that has a knock on effect on our partners, children, our families, our communities.

In January 2020, Polite launched its cannabis products containing THC, the intoxicating ingredient in marijuana. In April 2022 it began selling non-THC hemp goods with CBD. Products from both lines include a variety of cannabinoids the biologically active components of cannabis and hemp as well as other medicinal herbs.

We put the medical back into medical marijuana.

Polite distinguishes itself by its focus is on health-related products, in contrast to purely recreational use.

With the legalization of marijuana, patient-focused products were kind of ignored and thrown by the wayside, said Yung Tan, co-founder and CEO. The health and wellness piece disappeared, he said, so we put the medical back into medical marijuana.

The company is collaborating with physicians who study the outcomes for patients using these sorts of products and its applying this clinical information to develop its products. Polite partners with Seattles Advanced Integrative Medical Sciences (AIMS) Institute, a healthcare clinic that incorporates conventional and naturopathic approaches.

Its medical advisory board includes AIMS Institute co-founders Dr. Sunil Aggarwal and Dr. Leanna Standish. Both also hold positions at the UW School of Medicine and Bastyr University, a school of alternative medicine in Kenmore, Wash.

The company has competition. CBD products almost by definition are health-related. Other medically focused cannabis brands include Aunt Zeldas and Marys Brands. But the sector does seem to give less priority to medical applications. A search on the cannabis platform Leafly, for example, doesnt provide a clear path to finding low-dose THC-containing products for health needs.

Polite founders say their goal is to help customers discover which formulations and doses work best for meeting their health needs. That includes products to address chronic pain and inflammation, sleep, stress and anxiety, digestion and immunity, energy and focus, and joint and muscle pain.

It focuses on cannabis educational outreach to the public, healthcare workers, and budtenders who work in marijuana retail stores and often have only their personal experience to draw upon when recommending products.

This issue is, forgive the pun, truly grassroots, said Sue Tan. You have patients going to their healthcare providers and saying, Im going to try this [cannabis product], whether you believe in it or not, because Im out of options. Everything else has failed me.'

While the company is engaged in research into cannabinoids, it is not conducting rigorous FDA-approved clinical trials and is not publishing studies in peer-reviewed journals. It does employ outside laboratories to test its products for ingredient concentrations and contaminants such as pesticides.

The companys aesthetic and name are trying to walk the line of respectability aiming to offer products that people would be comfortable providing to ailing elderly parents or leaving out on their nightstand while not appearing intimidatingly pharmaceutical.

Polite is a brand within a parent company called Canvas Therapeutics, which has a second brand called Revida Labs. In addition to Sue and Yung Tan, who are siblings, Canvas other co-founders are Mary Brown Szomjassy, Jeffrey Freeman Jr., Adam Melero, Melissa Durkee, Mike Szomjassy and Suan Teo.

Prior to founding cannabis companies, Yung Tan was a corporate attorney at firms including Perkins Coie and a senior investment banker at banks such as Citigroup and Deutsche Bank. Sue Tan has done design work internationally and co-authored a book on innovation. Brown Szomjassy has a background in education and been a consultant in cannabis health education for 14 years.

Polites cannabis products are available in Washington and Arizona, two of the states where recreational marijuana is legal. The hemp items are sold nationally.

The company, which has approximately 15 employees, has been bootstrapped and not received outside financial support. As it expands its national and international customer base, the team will be pursuing capital from investors, said Yung Tan.

Read more here:
Please and thank you: Cannabis startup Polite sells science-backed products to treat yourself - GeekWire

This nonpharmacological form of treatment, rooted in Eastern medicine, can help with a variety of conditions

Tabitha, an 18-year-old, sweet-natured feline was struggling to move comfortably around the household. Her owner had exhausted many of the options offered to help ease the pain she was experiencing from her arthritic joints. Acupuncture was suggested to Tabithas owner and, despite being a slight skeptic about the true benefits this treatment could offer, she scheduled a first acupuncture appointment for Tabitha.

Tabitha was a very cooperative patient and seemed to enjoy her acupuncture visits. After about 6 sessions, Tabithas owner noticed a little pep her step and improved movement with less stiffness. The treatments were continued over the course of the year, and the owner observed that Tabithas daily life improved as she began to groom better, sleep more comfortably, navigate into the litter box with more ease, and had an increased appetite. Amazingly, Tabitha did not require any pain medications while receiving her acupuncture treatments, and she was able to celebrate her 22nd birthday. Tabitha was a model display of the true benefits acupuncture could provide to our furry companions.

Acupuncture has been around for thousands of years. This treatment originated in China, and traditional Chinese veterinary medicine not only includes the practice of acupuncture but also herbal medicine, food therapy, and Tui na (medical manipulation). Approximately 173 acupoints exist in animals and 361 in humans. Acupuncture generally involves the insertion of thin sterile needles into discrete and specific points on the body to cause a therapeutic effect. There are other methods utilized to enhance the effects of acupuncture, including electrical stimulation and moxibustion. Moxibustion utilizes dried plant materials called moxa, which are burned near the surface of the skin to help with treatment of certain conditions. Electroacupuncture uses a mild and gentle electric current to pass between the needles placed, causing a stimulation to help enhance the effects of acupuncture for certain conditions.

In terms of the effectiveness of acupuncture, there have been several studies that have demonstrated that the stimulation of acupoints leads to the release of -endorphins, serotonin, and other neurotransmitters. Studies have further indicated that acupuncture can help with pain relief, promotion of tissue healing processes, regulation of gastrointestinal motility, immunoregulation, anti-inflammatory effects, and hormone regulation.

The best part of acupuncture therapy is that the treatment is extremely safe and rarely causes any adverse effects. Some results can be seen immediately, but others will require several treatments. Most animals handle the acupuncture needles very well and often even show a relaxation effect from placement of some of the points. The body has many channels that interconnect and can be stimulated through acupuncture therapy. Many veterinarians who practice acupuncture can use these channels to help several areas of the body, with only a few acupoints.

To become a certified veterinary acupuncturist, a practicing veterinarian must undergo extensive training to understand the history of acupuncture, the proper diagnosis of a patient, and the channels and meridians used in acupuncture therapy. There are several tests these trained professionals must complete to become proficient and certified.

In practice, I will often have owners offer an animals favorite treat or meal to make it a positive experience during acupuncture sessions. Most sessions will last between 15 and 30 minutes. Some of the most common conditions acupuncture is used for in animals includes musculoskeletal and neurologic injuries, gastrointestinal disorders, allergic dermatitis, lick granulomas, epilepsy, and chronic pain conditions.

For those interested in pursuing this treatment for a pet, I would recommend finding a certified veterinary acupuncturist nearby. They will want to review your pets full medical history and perform a thorough examination prior to any acupuncture treatments. The acupuncturist may also suggest diet changes or herbal medicine to treat your pets underlying issues.

I have found the most success with an integrative approach to treating my patients using elements from both traditional Western medicine (eg, radiographs, ultrasound, antibiotics) and Eastern medicine (eg, acupuncture, herbs). We are fortunate, at the present time, to have numerous options available to help our animals live longer and more comfortable lives.

Dana Koch, VMD, CVA, MLAS is medical director of the HousePaws hospital in Morrisville, Pennsylvania, which offers acupuncture services. She received her veterinary degree from the University of Pennsylvania and a masters degree in laboratory animal medicine from Drexel University, both located in Philadelphia.

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Acupuncture therapy in pets - DVM 360

image:Peter Kaiser, Department of Biological Chemistry, UC Irvine, School of Medicine and Chao Family Comprehensive Cancer Center view more

Credit: UCI School of Medicine

Irvine, CA Aug. 10, 2022 A new study, led by researchers from the University of California, Irvine and the University of California, San Diego, reveals a new computation-guided approach to identify small molecules that can restore aspects of wild-type p53 tumor suppression function to mutated p53, which play an important role in many human cancers. This approach was successful both in vitro and in vivo. This strategy can increase chemical diversity of p53 corrector molecules for clinical development.

The tumor suppressor p53 is one of the most powerful mechanisms organisms use to protect themselves from cancer. Elephants have multiple copies of the p53 gene and rarely get cancer. Humans have only one copy and it is the most mutated gene found in human cancer. Diverse therapeutic approaches are actively pursued to target this pathway.

Interestingly, a large fraction of p53 alterations are missense mutations, where the genetic code of the p53 is altered in a way that produces a different amino acid than it would normally, explained Peter Kaiser, PhD, professor and chair of the Department of Biological Chemistry at the UCI School of Medicine. This results in abundance of mutant p53 protein levels in tumors that are, in principle, amenable to a corrector drug approach.

Published in Cell Chemical Biology, the study identified small drug-like compounds that act through a well-defined mode of action; do not require covalent attachment, induction of redox imbalance, or metal binding; and have selective anti-cancer activities on tumors with p53 missense mutations. This research provides a framework for p53 reactivation compound discovery that can help to increase chemical diversity and improve pharmacological properties necessary for translation of pharmaceutical p53 mutant reactivation to the clinic.

This study successfully demonstrates the feasibility and efficacy of pharmaceutical reactivation of mutant p53, said Kaiser. These findings are encouraging given the large number of cancer patients with p53 mutations that could benefit from such drugs.

This study involved the application of an ensemble-based virtual screening approach, developed in the laboratory of Rommie Amaro, professor and endowed chair in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry at UC San Diego, which has the potential to identify compounds with increased cancer killing potential and with a broad spectrum of activity across a panel of p53 mutants. The researchers showed that their compounds bind mutant p53 and change mutant p53 conformation to wild type-like structures. This restores p53 DNA binding activity to activate the p53 transcriptional response, which in turn prevents tumor progression in mouse models selectively for tumors with a p53 missense mutation.

Challenges remain to define exact mechanisms and develop highly active corrector drugs for mutated p53 and future experiments are needed to optimize pharmacological properties to progress towards clinical therapeutics.

The study was supported by the National Institutes of Health and the Department of Defense.

About the UCI School of Medicine: Each year, the UCI School of Medicine educates more than 400 medical students, and nearly 150 doctoral and masters students. More than 700 residents and fellows are trained at UCI Medical Center and affiliated institutions. The School of Medicine offers an MD; a dual MD/PhD medical scientist training program; and PhDs and masters degrees in anatomy and neurobiology, biomedical sciences, genetic counseling, epidemiology, environmental health sciences, pathology, pharmacology, physiology and biophysics, and translational sciences. Medical students also may pursue an MD/MBA, an MD/masters in public health, or an MD/masters degree through one of three mission-based programs: Health Education to Advance Leaders in Integrative Medicine (HEAL-IM), Leadership Education to Advance Diversity-African, Black and Caribbean (LEAD-ABC), and the Program in Medical Education for the Latino Community (PRIME-LC). The UCI School of Medicine is accredited by the Liaison Committee on Medical Accreditation and ranks among the top 50 nationwide for research. For more information, visit som.uci.edu.

Cell Chemical Biology

Experimental study

Cells

Discovery of compounds that reactivate p53 mutants in vitro and in vivo

10-Aug-2022

Authors of this manuscript, including Amaro, R. E., Baronio, R., Demir, O., Kaiser, P., Lathrop, R. H., Salehi-Amiri, S.-F., Wassman, C., are listed as inventors on the patent, "mall molecules to enhance p53 activity", US20160193214 A1, United States. (Approved: March 2017). The patent describes compounds reported in this manuscript.

Disclaimer: AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert system.

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New UCI-led study reveals computation-guided approach to suppressing cancer tumor growth - EurekAlert

Psychological stress can have a direct effect on bodily functions such as the immune system.

By affecting white blood cell populations, acute and chronic psychological stress can decrease a bodys ability to fight off infection, but how the brain communicates with the immune system to do this is unclear. Filip Swirski, a professor at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, explores this form of inter-organ communication. A big question is how do the various organs in our systems respond to external factors and lifestyle changes, whether that's sleep, diet, exercise, or stress, because our body systems really adapt to fluctuations in our environment, said Swirski.

In a recent study published in Nature,Swirski and his group showed that inducing acute stress in mice caused profound changes in the immune system.1 Specifically, B and T cells left the lymph nodes and rapidly migrated to the bone marrow. We were both very surprised to see how massive these immune shifts are within very short periods of stress, said Wolfram Poller, a clinician-researcher and first author of the study. As a consequence, these stress-induced immune system shifts had a profound effect on disease susceptibility, decreasing a mouses ability to tolerate influenza or SARS-CoV-2 infections.

Next, Swirskis team wanted to identify the specific brain networks that caused this physical change in the immune system. The researchers first explored the paraventricular hypothalamus (PVH), a region controlled by the sympathetic nervous system (SNS) that is important in stress and the fight or flight response. By activating or inactivating specific neurons in the PVH, the researchers found that they could induce or reduce leukocyte migration to the bone marrow. Because lymphatic tissues play a major role in immune tolerance, they modeled autoimmune disease in mice and found that when stressed, these mice displayed fewer detrimental outcomes, such as inflammation and paralysis, due to the immune cell migration away from the lymph nodes. These experiments revealed an important aspect of how psychological stress can dampen the responses leading to autoimmune disorders while also decreasing the bodys ability to withstand infectious disease.

We were both very surprised to see how massive these immune shifts are within very short periods of stress. Wolfram Poller, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York

Swirskis team also found that in response to acute stress, neutrophils became more prevalent in multiple tissues. Neutrophils aid in the repair of tissue damage; therefore, their distribution to multiple areas in the body prepares it for possible injury. The scientists again looked at the SNS for answers and were surprised to find that it was not involved in the neutrophil response. Instead, they looked for neutrophil modulators in the blood and identified CXCL1, a protein in muscle that changed in response to stress. By inactivating or stimulating the specific motor circuit neurons in the brain known to control muscle movements, the researchers modulated the neutrophil response, making this study one of the first to find a direct mechanistic connection between a specific brain region and its effect on the immune system.

What this paper does is it [goes] into the detailed brain pathways that are important in regulating different parts of the immune response, said Esther Sternberg, the research director for the Andrew Weil Center for Integrative Medicine at the University of Arizona at Tucson, who was not involved in the study. How elegant and miraculous is it that when youre so stressed that you need to fight or fleeyou could be injuredthe immune system sends the neutrophils to exactly where they need to be.

While stress prepares the body for injury, it also makes the body more susceptible to infectious disease by dampening other immune responses. Swirski and his group are now interested in the questions these findings raise about how people with socio-economic struggles deal with chronic or acute stressors and whether their bodies are prepared to deal with viral infections. That relationship is something that I think is worth exploring, to inspect how some of these socio-economic factors really put our immune systems at a disadvantage, said Swirski.

Reference

Read more from the original source:
Psychological Stress Distracts the Immune System from Fighting Infections - The Scientist

WOBURN, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--OSSIO, Inc., a fast-growing orthopedic fixation technology company, announced today the U.S. launch and first commercial use of OSSIOfiber Suture Anchors, expanding patient access to the companys growing portfolio of bio-integrative implants for use in foot/ankle, shoulder, knee, hand/wrist and elbow surgery.

Gregory Berlet, M.D., founding partner at Orthopedic Foot and Ankle Center in Columbus, Ohio, recently became the first surgeon to use the new implant in clinical practice.

The new OSSIOfiber Suture Anchors provide amazing strength and biology that I trust to be predictable and safe for my patients, Dr. Berlet, chief medical officer of OSSIO, said. Utilizing OSSIOs trusted bio-integrative material, these anchors allow me to maintain my preferred technique for soft tissue fixation procedures while improving my results. This is another big step for OSSIOfiber in becoming a new material standard in orthopedic fixation.

OSSIOfiber Suture Anchors were FDA cleared in March 2022 for use in fixation of suture (soft tissue) to bone in the shoulder, foot/ankle, knee, hand/wrist, and elbow in a variety of specific orthopedic procedures. These implants were designed to achieve unrivaled strength and unmatched safety using their proprietary OSSIOfiber Intelligent Bone Regeneration Technology that leaves nothing permanent behind.

Additionally, the anchors proprietary DURAlinkTM Coupling Technology acts to increase stability and prevent suture slippage by connecting the eyelet to the anchor, creating a single stable unit. OSSIO will initially launch the 4.75mm system into the foot and ankle market, followed by the companys first entry into the sports/shoulder markets later this year.

The OSSIOfiber 4.75 Suture Anchor represents a substantive breakthrough in soft-tissue-to-bone fixation, said Frank Petrigliano, M.D., chief of the University of Southern California Epstein Family Center for Sports Medicine in Los Angeles. The implants can be utilized for a broad array of sports medicine procedures, and demonstrate strong, predictable bio-integration. This technology provides a biocompatible option that achieves excellent fixation without concern for implant fracture or incomplete integration into host bone. I look forward to using the OSSIOfiber 4.75 suture anchor for my sports and shoulder cases.

OSSIO CEO Brian Verrier added: Expanding our commercialized portfolio of OSSIOfiber implants, as well as patient access to additional bio-integrative solutions, is mission critical for the companys continued success, and the launch of our suture anchors mark a significant milestone in that effort. Sports and extremity surgeons have been asking for non-permanent suture anchors that deliver improved strength and pull-out resistance, while providing safe, predictable bio-integration. OSSIOfiber Suture Anchors have shown strength that is unrivaled and safety that is unmatched in the market, as demonstrated by our bench testing and 30 month in-life studies compared to currently marketed bio-composite anchor controls.

Additionally, Verrier said, our products offer enhanced ease of use due to the incredible insertion strength of our continuous mineral fiber-based platform. We are excited to offer our customers a suture anchor that provides confidence during the healing process while avoiding many of the late issues sometimes seen in traditional suture anchors.

About OSSIOfiber Intelligent Bone Regeneration Technology

All OSSIO implants are made with OSSIOfiber Intelligent Bone Regeneration Technology, a breakthrough in fixation material that provides the first credible solution to the shortcomings of permanent metal hardware, conventional resorbable and allograft implants, combining unparalleled mechanical strength and natural bone healing in a non-permanent implant. Made from a proprietary mineral fiber matrix held together by a naturally degradable polymer, its bio-integrative material properties provide surgeons with a more biologically friendly way to restore patient stability and mobility while leaving nothing permanent behind.

Designed for rapid bone in-growth, regeneration and replacement, OSSIOfiber Intelligent Bone Regeneration Technology is a first-of-its-kind implant material stronger than cortical bone. OSSIOfiber is engineered to provide the strength required for functional fixation and allows for full integration into the native anatomy without adverse biological response. OSSIOfiber implants utilize existing reimbursement and surgical techniques.

OSSIOfiber Intelligent Bone Regeneration Technology can address many surgical applications through the manufacturing of endless implant designs, including nails, screws, staples, anchors and plates. The company intends to pursue multiple applications in the distal extremity, trauma, sports, reconstruction, pediatrics and spine segments. For more information on OSSIOfiber implants, please visit http://www.ossio.io.

About OSSIO

OSSIO is an orthopedic fixation company committed to transforming the orthopedic experience for patients, physicians and payors. Founded in 2014, its vision is to provide the first credible replacement to metal implants in the multibillion-dollar global orthopedic fixation market with its OSSIOfiber Intelligent Bone Regeneration Technology. OSSIOs development headquarters is located in Caesarea, Israel, and its commercial headquarters is in Woburn, Mass. (USA). For more information on the company, visit http://www.ossio.io.

Forward-looking statements contained herein are based on estimates and assumptions of OSSIO management and are believed to be reasonable, though they are inherently uncertain and difficult to predict.

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OSSIO Announces U.S. Launch and First Commercial Use of OSSIOfiber Suture Anchors, Expanding Patient Access to Growing Portfolio of Bio-Integrative...

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At a time when our bodily autonomy is under attack, women have become more vigilant about their basic human rights to equality, information, and the highest attainable standard of healthincluding sexual and reproductive health without discrimination. But the traditional healthcare system tends to treat the complex needs of women all wrong. It takes an acute approach rather than preventative. Disparate versus integrative. As a result, American women are suffering through a national infertility crisis and high maternal mortality (a rate of 23.8 to be exact, the worst among industrialized nations). The Covid-19 pandemic meanwhile has had lasting effects on the state of mental health for women, who are already twice as likely to experience depression and anxiety than men.

In an effort to change this, numerous founders are disrupting the wellness industry as we know it. We spoke with three who were unwilling to wait for the massive ship that is the American healthcare system to course correctone a former investment banker, another a former journalist, and the third a doctor-turned-serial entrepreneur. They recognize that, for women, innovation is a matter of life and death.

Kimberly Seals Allers, founder of Irth

(Image credit: Future)

With her first pregnancy, Kimberly Seals Allers, a former reporter at Fortune and editor at Essence, deployed her journalistic skills to research the best hospitals. But when she gave birth, her experience didnt match the glowing reviews.

I walked [into] a highly rated and best of hospital in New York City, having done months of due diligence and reading reviews, says Allers. But I left feeling disrespected, traumatized, and unseen.

This impacted her earliest memories of motherhood. I blamed myself completely, unaware that people are not being treated the same way even in the same place.

According to a White House statement issued on its first Maternal Health Day of Action in 2021, the U.S. has the highest maternal mortality rate of any wealthy nation. For women of color, the reality is stark. According to the CDC, Black, American Indian, and Alaska Native women are two to three times more likely to die from pregnancy-related complications than white women. The pregnancy-related mortality rate for Black women with at least a college degree was 5.2 times that of their white counterparts.

So in February 2021, Allers launched Irth, an app that seeks to equalize the experience of delivering a child by giving women a central platform for rating and reviewing hospitals, OB-GYNs, and other pre- and post-natal care providers. Think of it like Yelp, but for childbirth, aimed at helping Black and Brown women access the best prenatal, birthing, postpartum, and pediatric services.

It started as a mommy-son project. Her youngest child, Michael, then a 13-year-old coding enthusiast, created the apps wireframes and soon, the duo started going to pitch competitions. I had this idea for an app and thought this would be a great way to bridge our worlds, says Allers. In 2018, they went to an MIT hackathon related to birth and breastfeeding and won the Media for Change award. There, they met an MIT engineer who went on to build Irths prototype, which enabled Allers to get more grant funding. To date, Allers has raised more than $850,000 in grants. I'm really proud of our origin story, she says.

Were turning our anonymized reviews into qualitative data...to give every Black birthing person a five-star experience while bringing life into the worldwhich is what we all deserve.

Earlier this year, she was invited to meet with Tim Cook during Apples Worldwide Developers Conference, where Apple recognizes trailblazing creators uplifting their communities through technology. Apple also featured Irth in a spotlight (opens in new tab) on the App Store to grow awareness. It was an incredible platform to share about Irth and our mission to remove the bias from birth, says Allers.

To date, Irth has more than 20,000 users and reviews from 48 states. Allers is most alarmed by the frequency at which women of color are going through similarly poor experiences, such as hearing negative comments from care providers about family size or marital status. There were too many reviews from fathers saying they were referred to as Mr. Baby Daddy while supporting their partner; Black women being coerced and admonished about birth control while in active labor, says Allers.

Right now, according to Allers, the number-one negative experience being reported on the Irth app nationwide is: "My requests for help were ignored or refused."Such medical racism has resulted in disrespect and death. A common thread in every maternal death story is that too many hospitals want to dismiss or explain away these reports of pain, instead of taking them seriously.

Irth has its sights on reform. The team of just 15 employees recently launched pilot programs with five hospitals to improve patient care for Black mothers. Allers says the hardest work is being done at the community level, encouraging more women of color to submit reviews. After all, it will take sheer volume to sound the alarm bells on one of the biggest failures of the countrys healthcare system.

Were turning our anonymized reviews into qualitative data to teach providers, payers, and hospitals how to give every Black birthing person a five-star experience while bringing life into the worldwhich is what we all deserve.

Rebecca Parekh, ceo and cofounder of The Well.

(Image credit: Future)

Step into The Well's New York City flagship, and one might wonder whether theyve entered a luxurious retreat in Montauk or Malibu. But smack in the middle of Manhattan, visitors to The Well can book meditation classes in a glowing white dome, access body treatments rooted in Traditional Chinese Medicine and Ayurveda, or try their hand at hydrotherapy, aromatherapy, meditation, and more.

Rebecca Parekh, cofounder and CEO, says the very premise of her business is to integrate holistic health into the urbanite's day-to-dayand that meant building a geographically accessible hub to promote such a lifestyle.

Our original business was a physical business and were remaining true to that because were passionate about the in-person experience and offering integrated wellness in big, busy cities, she says. Its not a common mindset in this Web3, Metaverse-obsessed startup world.

Burnout in her previous career led Parekh to rediscover the importance of holistic health. "I was an investment banker and was not modeling a wellness lifestyle; when it comes to getting swept into hustle-culture, I got disconnected," says Parekh, who worked at Deutsche Bank for 10 years. Her mom encouraged her to simply cook more and practice yoga daily. Parekh ultimately left banking, transitioning to work as Executive Director of the Global Foundation for Eating Disorders, and then COO for Deepak Chopra Radical Wellbeing.

She began envisioning a business that would promote health on a grander scale and on a daily basis. In 2016 she teamed up with cofounders Sarrah Hallock and Kane Sarhan to begin fundraising for The Well. It opened its nearly 15,000-square-foot Manhattan flagship, complete with a full-service restaurant and retail shop in September 2019just six months before the pandemic made in-person experiences practically obsolete.

Parekh and cofounders began offering digital wellness classes and services, such as a three-part webinar focused on how to ease the anxiety of returning to office work and the outside world after months in lockdown. It also focused on e-commerce for its line of vitamins, supplements, and personal care goods.

Although The Well nimbly pivoted to digital during the pandemic, its cofounders never abandoned their commitment to physical locations and products. Through a partnership with Auberge Resorts Collection, the company continued to invest in its second location at The Mayflower Inn & Spa in Connecticut, which opened in November 2020, then its third spot, Hacienda AltaGracia, in Costa Rica in 2021.

To date, The Well employs about 100 people and has raised roughly $50 million in venture capital. After surviving Covid-19 closures, the brand is set for expansion: Parekh says The Well will likely open two more locations by the end of the year, and confirmed the company is working on projects in Mexico, Miami, London, and Aspen.

While it grows via brick-and-mortar, the company is staying grounded in an industry driven by fads. Parekh credits The Wells medical and nutrition teams with vetting everything, from services offered to ingredients served in the restaurant. The rigorous standards are set forth by Frank Lipman, M.D., Chief Medical Officer and a renowned voice in integrative and functional medicine. He went from quack to guru, as [mainstream] folks are now believing in what hes been talking about for quite some time, says Parekh.

And in an industrywellnessthat can mean many things and nothing at once, The Well filters out fads by making sure each service fits within the brands key pillars: nutrition, body work, skincare, lifestyle, community, and, a newly added category: emotional wellbeing.

We focus on meeting people where they are at in their wellness journeys, says Parekh. Whether youre sick or not we believe yoga is medicine, along with the food we eat.

Parsley Health founder and CEO, Dr. Robin Berzin.

(Image credit: Future)

Just 13 percent of healthcare CEOs are femaleand even fewer are M.D.s. But Dr. Robin Berzin has defied these odds. In 2011, the graduate of Columbia Universitys College of Physicians and Surgeons cofounded Cureatr, an app that streamlines communication with physicians. That experience with health-tech inspired her to launch Parsley Health in 2016this time as a solo female founder.

Parsley Health is a functional medicine company that takes a preventive approach to chronic disease management. It uses a holistic snapshot of a patients sleep, fitness, nutrition, family history, and mental health to determine the best regimens and health protocols.

When we look at the body as an integrated systemrather than isolated partswere able to implement the right solution at the right time.

It has served tens of thousands of patients nationwide via telehealth, in addition to in-person clinics in New York City and Los Angeles. We have independent data showing that Parsley's approach to care improves health while reducing specialist referrals and prescription drug use, Dr. Berzin says. According to company data, by year two, patients have reduced their referrals to specialists by 77 percent. Those previously on chronic medications see a 65 percent reduction in prescription drug use.

We closely monitor their health to ensure that their concerns were heard, their treatments were working, and, ultimately, that we were measurably putting them on a path to feeling better, says Dr. Berzin. She points to the initial visitwhich takes 75 minutes, five times longer than the average appointment with a primary care physicianas the real changemaker.

Last year was a big one for Dr. Berzin. In response to the wellness wave sparked by Covid-19, she grew telehealth from seven states in 2020 to a nationwide operation in early 2021. She also raised a Series C round of venture capital, bringing the total raised to date to more than $100 million. She finished writing her first book, State Change (opens in new tab).

Last but not least, she welcomed her third child. In August 2021, she posted a beaming Instagram photo of herself just three weeks before giving birth, and wrote I convinced myself at 39 that I was too old to get pregnant easily, even though of course I know better. I help women beat the fertility odds every freaking day at work!

With a female physician and a mother of three at the helm, Parsley Health is a family practice with an emphasis on transforming womens healthcare. Its programs are designed to support women throughout their reproductive lifecycle: pre-conception, fertility, pregnancy, and postpartum. Last month, the company announced the launch of comprehensive menopause care.

Menopause affects more than 55 million American women and yet 73 percent of these women will suffer in silence without treatment. Perimenopause symptoms can start as early as age 45 while menopause can last for a decade. And, too often, according to Darcy McConnell, M.D., Director of Medical Affairs at Parsley Health, older women experience age-related conditions that are misattributed to menopause. For example, bloating and weight gain are often blamed on hormones, but can actually be due to high cortisol levels, leading to incorrect treatments.

Parsley Healths menopause protocol will deviate from the traditional practice of defaulting to hormone replacement therapy (HRT), which, according to Cancer.gov, is linked to numerous side effects including vaginal bleeding, dementia, and breast cancer. Parsley Healths holistic model instead takes a closer look at a womans metabolic health and mental health to offer a comprehensive system for monitoring multiple causes and conditions.

Dr. Berzin says Parsley Health aims to connect the dots, which traditional, patriarchal medicine has failed to do: When we look at the body as an integrated systemrather than isolated partswere able to implement the right solution at the right time, which halts the cycle of frustration women experience when theyre stuck in the revolving door of specialist referrals and prescription drugs.

(Image credit: Kanya Iwana / Brittany Holloway-Brown)

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The CEOs Disrupting and Democratizing Women's Health - Marie Claire

image:Schematic of a quantum sensor in which a biomolecule (pink) is anchored to a surface of hexagonal boron nitride on which the spin defect (red) is located. The latter operates as a sensitive probe for the environment. view more

Credit: Andreas Gottscholl / University of Wuerzburg

The new research project IQ-Sense - Integrated Spin Systems for Quantum Sensors aims to measure physical quantities such as temperature, pressure, magnetic or electric fields with unprecedented precision. Such measurements using quantum sensors are of fundamental importance in the natural and engineering sciences, but also in the life sciences and medicine.

The project brings together research groups from Julius-Maximilians-Universitt Wrzburg (JMU) and Technische Universitt Mnchen (TUM), both in Bavaria, Germany. The complementary expertise represented in the project includes physics, chemistry, life sciences and medicine.

On the one hand, the synergistically linked groups from the two universities aim to explore the fundamentals of advanced quantum sensor technology using several identified solid-state platforms. On the other hand, they are going to develop and demonstrate integrated quantum sensors for spectroscopic and imaging applications in biomolecular and biomedical settings.

The project is coordinated by the Wrzburg Professor Vladimir Dyakonov, head of the JMU Chair of Experimental Physics 6. Other JMU participants come from the Institute of Physics, the Biocentre and the Rudolf Virchow Centre for Integrative and Translational Imaging.

Free State promotes lighthouse projects

The Bavarian State Ministry of Science and the Arts is funding IQ-Sense as part of the initiative "Lighthouse Projects for Research, Development and Applications in Quantum Sciences and Quantum Technologies". Around three million euros have been approved for the project over three years. Half of the sum will go to Wrzburg.

Minister of Science Markus Blume: "We want to specifically support interdisciplinary and cross-university projects that can lay the foundations for groundbreaking innovations. Innovations that we can't even imagine exist today."

New quantum professorship for Wrzburg

As part of this Bavarian funding initiative, JMU will also receive a new quantum professorship for Computational Quantum Materials. The Ministry already announced this in June 2022; the appointment procedure for the professorship is underway. The new professorship was applied for by JMU physics professors Bjrn Trauzettel and Ralph Claessen.

The Free State is funding the establishment of the new professorship at JMU with around 1.5 million euros over five years.

Both successful applications will strengthen the Wrzburg-Dresden Cluster of Excellence "ct.qmat - Complexity and Topology in Quantum Matter".

Disclaimer: AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert system.

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On the way to quantum sensors - EurekAlert

Three longtime local creatives are coming together to make some magic in the Mile High City. And if Iman Haidar, Crystal Wiggins and Corey Jacobs hit their mark, Society Denvercould be one of Denver's best venues when it opens early next year at 3090 Downing Street, a big building on the edge of Five Points that got its start as a church. The lineup of offerings they propose for the place is enticing and seemingly endless, including live music from local, national and international acts; yoga and meditation classes; body work; workshops; galleries for artists; healthy, soulful food; and even an apothecary and elixir bar.

Our goal with Society is to set a precedent of what is possible in a community space in Denver, says Haidar. We are driven to offer more than just a physical space, but to fill it with purpose and inspiration for our community to flourish in. Keeping the synergy of the mind, body and soul as a guiding principle, we are committed to creating an inclusive space that fosters creativity, celebration and connection."

Denver Society has been a long time coming, though.

"The concept came around for me personally around May of 2019," Haidar recalls. "I realized having the intersection of art and music and wellness and healthy food and community is what really has helped me thrive, and I thought it'd be really cool to have a space that has all of it under one roof."

A rendering of the Alive space.

Society Denver

But not without its challenges. The trio found the building almost three years ago; it had been vacant since the Wrangler moved out in 2018.Before it became a bear bar, it was a members-only swingers' club, and before that, a slew of restaurants, from the Kiva all the way back to the Hacienda, which the MacIntosh family opened after converting the former church into an eatery.

"The building is now owned by GHC Housing Partners, which is normally involved with developing affordable housing. Weve been working directly with Alex Berbit, and a commercial space like this took some creativity and patience," says Haidar. "They didnt want to just sign a lease with any business they could; they wanted a business that aligned with their values. Overall, they have showed up with such support for our success and truly believe in our concept and the value that we will be giving back to the neighborhood and community. Theyve been amazing to work with, and we feel really grateful to be in their building.

"The pandemic hit right before we signed the lease," she recalls. "So we kind of had some ups and downs with that, but ultimately, that place has always felt like where it's meant to be. It just fits so well. It flows so well. It has sectioned-off areas, but they all feel so symbiotic with each other. And now when I walk in, I can't imagine it being anywhere else."

The founders' ideas are backed up by years of experience. Jacobs opened Thrive in Boulder in 2015, and the popular vegan eatery was named a top ten Colorado restaurant by National Elite in 2018. He also has an audio engineering degree and is a reiki master and massage therapist. Wiggins had a background in music festival production, artist management and as an agent when she moved to Denver twelve years ago; she established herself here working with Beatport, Sonic Bloom, Sub.mission, Cervantes', UMS and Yeah Baby, a disco pop-up in RiNo."I have been a talent buyer at multiple different events and festivals globally and in Colorado," Wiggins says. "I'm really looking forward to implementing the skills that I have."

Haidar also has a music background, having worked at Black Box and large-scale festivals from Tomorrowland to Burning Man. "I came out here around 2014 for school. I double-majored in biochemistry and integrative medicine, so I come from a strong science background. And then after that, I also went to the Colorado School of Clinical Herbalism and completed the medical herbalism program, so I'm definitely gonna be infusing that into a lot of the stuff and [wellness space] Alive and the apothecary," she explains. "I'm also an avid yogi, and I help to co-run a performance company and an event company called Pyroglyphics. We do all kinds of performance art, such as fire dancing, aerial arts, belly dance, burlesque, contortion, all kinds of circus stuff. We perform internationally, and that's still running right now."

A rendering of Thrive.

Society Denver

Each floor will showcase a different aspect of the creative hub. Society Denver's first floor will be a second location of Thrive; the space will be filled with greenery and have enough room to allow for performances at dinner. "We'll have Iman coordinating aerials and different types of shows like belly dancing, and we'll have music theater events and different dinner and theater experiences...for a full sensory experience," Wiggins says.

Performance art will also happen on the next floor, labeled Vibe. This will be Wiggins's arena, a sprawling space with VIP booths and a capacity of 600. "No one wants to be shoulder to shoulder at a concert," Wiggins says. Those concerts will include all genres of music."We want to have local artists, we want to support the community," she adds. "We're so tied in with so many different communities with the music as it is, too, that we already have a ton of people ready to support us that are on an international, massive level."

During the day, the first floor will house pop-up galleries and be used as a general gathering and workspace, as well.

The third floor, Alive, will showcase Haidar's expertise. The wellness space will host many holistic offerings, such as energy and body work, sound baths, masseuses, yoga and more.

The building will also house a major mural project headed by Allie Grimm, aka A.L. Grime, named the Best Influential Muralist in the Best of Denver 2022. The project will involve twenty artists, who will paint both the interior and exterior of the space. Grimm's mural will be outside Alive, and will be created during the mural festival she is coordinating, Denver Walls.

"Allie's a longtime friend of mine," Haidar says. "She's also just an inspiring, badass woman powerhouse in her industry. We've worked together for years, and she's already curated a bunch of the murals that are up at the building."

A rendering of Vibe's daytime look.

Society Denver

But first, the partners need to finish and staff the space. They are hiring for more than sixty positions and have created an IndieGoGo to reach a $50,000 goal, which will be used for purchasing more equipment, furnishing, employee training and renovations. Donors will receive perks ranging from yoga classes to food and membership deals.

"Society Denver is open to everybody. You don't need to be a member to access any aspect of it at any point in the day except for some select private events," Wiggins notes.

"We're very connected in the art world," she continues. "We have a friend who's going to be making us a custom chandelier. He's a glassblower here. There are so many cool little things like that, but we're just so excited to bring attention to these people at Society Denver. They deserve it."

More:
New Five Points Venue Will Showcase Denver Music, Art, Food and Wellness - Westword

CHICAGO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Adtalem Global Education (NYSE: ATGE), a leading educator and provider of professional talent to the healthcare industry, has established a partnership between its two medical schools, American University of the Caribbean School of Medicine (AUC) and Ross University School of Medicine (RUSM), and Southern California University of Health Services (SCU) to expand access to education for aspiring physicians looking to earn a Doctor of Medicine (MD) degree. Through this partnership, SCU students who graduate from the Master of Science in Medical Science (MSMS) program and get accepted to either AUC or RUSM, can receive up to $10,000 in scholarships or additional funding. The three-year agreement began in July 2022.

Adtalem and its leading medical institutions, AUC and RUSM, are committed to expanding access to education and supporting students to pursue medical education, said John Danaher, M.D., president of Adtalem Medical and Veterinary. This partnership will provide needed funding to a diverse group of students who have the talent but may not have access or opportunity to pursue their education and career path in the health sciences.

SCUs post-baccalaureate MSMS degree can be completed in as little as one year and seeks to strengthen students academic skills and credentials for entry into medical, dental, physician assistant, veterinarian, or other professional health care programs.

"This new agreement is excellent news for SCU MSMS students with dreams of becoming medical doctors, said Raheleh Khorsan, Ph.D., program director, MSMS Program at SCU. SCU is proud to have been educating medical science students since our MSMS Program began in 2020. This agreement creates the opportunity to increase the number of both medical sciences students, and future medical students at AUC and RUSM. It is through institutional agreements such as this that our common goal can be reachedto increase health sciences and medical students to fill the need for additional healthcare professionals for communities."

AUC and RUSM are part of the Adtalem family of institutions dedicated to healthcare workforce solutions and actively partner with mission-driven organizations to reduce educational barriers and empower career development. AUC and RUSM are committed to superior student outcomes and achieved strong residency placements with a combined 95% first-time eligible residency attainment rate for 2021-22 graduates and expected graduates (as of April 5, 2022).

To learn more about the agreement, please visit: https://www.scuhs.edu/wp-content/uploads/RUSM-and-AUC-Interview-and-Scholarship-Details.pdf.

About Adtalem Global

Adtalem Global Education (NYSE: ATGE) is a leading healthcare educator and provider of professional talent to the healthcare industry. With a dedicated focus on driving strong outcomes that increase workforce preparedness, Adtalem empowers a diverse learner population to achieve their goals and make inspiring contributions to their communities. Adtalem is the parent organization of American University of the Caribbean School of Medicine, Chamberlain University, Ross University School of Medicine, Ross University School of Veterinary Medicine and Walden University. Adtalem and its institutions have more than 10,000 employees and a network of more than 275,000 alumni. Adtalem was named one of Americas Most Responsible Companies 2021 by Newsweek, and one of Americas Best Employers for Diversity in 2021 and 2022 by Forbes. Follow Adtalem on Twitter @adtalemglobal, LinkedIn or visit Adtalem.com for more information.

About American University of the Caribbean School of Medicine

American University of the Caribbean School of Medicine (AUC) is an institution of Adtalem Global Education, a global education provider headquartered in the United States. Founded in 1978, AUC School of Medicine has more than 7,000 alumni, many of whom work in primary care or underserved areas. With a campus in Sint Maarten, affiliated teaching hospitals in the United States and the United Kingdom, and internationally recognized faculty, AUC School of Medicine has a diverse medical education program for todays globally minded physician. For more information visit aucmed.edu, follow AUC School of Medicine on Twitter (@aucmed), Instagram (@aucmed_edu) and Facebook (@aucmed).

About Ross University School of Medicine

Ross University School of Medicine (RUSM) is an institution of Adtalem Global Education, a global education provider headquartered in the United States. Founded in 1978 and located in Barbados, RUSM has more than 14,000 alumni and is committed to educating a diverse group of skilled physicians. RUSM is accredited by the Caribbean Accreditation Authority for Education in Medicine and Other Health Professions (CAAM-HP). For more information, please visit medical.rossu.edu and follow RUSM on Twitter (@RossMedSchool), Instagram (@rossmedschool) and Facebook (@RossMedSchool).

About Southern California University of Health Sciences (SCU)

Over a century after Los Angeles College of Chiropractic (LACC), Californias first chiropractic school was established in 1911, it grew into Southern California University of Health Sciences (SCU), an expanded, multi-program university that is transforming and redefining health and healthcare education. SCU is committed to providing an academic community imbued with kindness, integrity, humor, and determination; and a culture of diversity and inclusion. SCU specializes in integrative whole-person healthcare education that goes beyond the diagnosis - and that treats the whole person. Since 1911, SCU has trained more than 18,000 future healthcare providers. For more information, visit scuhs.edu/.

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Adtalem Global Education Medical Schools Partner with Southern California University to Expand Pipeline of Physicians - Business Wire